Figures. Politico Uses Evangelical Obama Voter In Tea Party Hit Piece

Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, March 12, 2010, 5:44 AM

The rise of a new conservative grass roots fueled by a secular revulsion at government spending is stirring fears among leaders of the old conservative grass roots, the evangelical Christian right.

A reeling economy and the massive bank bailout and stimulus plan were the triggers for a resurgence in support for the Republican Party and the rise of the tea party movement. But they’ve also banished the social issues that are the focus of many evangelical Christians to the background….

“As far as I can tell [the tea party movement] has a politics that’s irreligious. I can’t see how some of my fellow conservatives identify with it,” said Richard Cizik, who broke with a major evangelical group over his support for government action on climate change, but who remains largely in line with the Christian right on social issues. “The younger Evangelicals who I interact with are largely turned off by the tea party movement — by the incivility, the name-calling, the pathos of politics.”

Concerned Citizen commented:

Sage commented:

So you’re using one obama voter as a representative example of evangelicals now? I know for a fact a sizaeable portion of the TPs are evangelical. Yet you focus on this phony Obama voter. The agenda is clear to create a rift among the TP. And it’s a really pathetic attempt.
Politico sadly is taken seriously by very few anymore. And your articles least of all. I’m an evangelical. Why didn’t you interview me? The only thing worse than leftist blue staters are angry leftists in red states. It’s like the angry emo teenage son. I have witnessed no name-calling or vulgarities at tea parties. And I have yet to meet an evangelical who won’t oppose Obama on the grounds that he is also opposed by secularists. Give me a break. Laughable.

ATV commented:

It’s important to remember that Cizik was basically kicked out of the National Association of Evangelicals for his dissent from evangelicals on gay marriage, the environment, abortion, and just about every other social issue they care about. He’s not representative of evangelicals. What he means is that *his kind* of evangelicals (by which he means the relatively small number of liberal, statist evangelicals) are scared of the tea party movement.

Militant Conservative commented:

From Jim’s linked CT article (which, by the way, is about Cizik resigning his NAE leadership position because his views had become inconsistent with the evangelical mainstream):

“For better or for worse, Rich became a great, polarizing figure,” said Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship. “He was gradually, over a period of time, separating himself from the mainstream of evangelical belief and conviction. So I’m not surprised. I’m sorry for him, but I’m not disappointed for the evangelical movement.”

And it was for these reasons that dozens of actual evangelical leaders called for his resignation.

Yet Politico calls him a “[leader] of the old conservative grass roots, the evangelical Christian right”, and characterizes him thus [emphasis added]:

Richard Cizik, who broke with a major evangelical group over his support for government action on climate change, but who remains largely in line with the Christian right on social issues.

So, the actual leaders of the amorphous evangelical Christian right rejected Cizik’s social views, and called for (and eventaully won) Cizik’s resignation as a leader of and spokesperson for the NAE – and yet he is the one NAE-connected person polled by Politico for the article.

Further, the only example of “uncivility” in the Tea Party movement is the “Obama Joker” image – which was not even created by a Tea Partier!

I’ll take such an article seriously just as soon as the author points out where he got his panties in a wad regarding the blatant and incessant vitriol targeted at President Bush.

So he calls his opponents irreligious, but it is they who are uncivl name-callers. Having been on both the evangelical left and the evangelical right (I call myself “postliberal” at this point), I find this very typical of the left in general, including, sadly, the religious left. They do not perceive they are being insulting because it is against acceptable targets, and in a condescending (even sneering) rather than blunt style. That is more acceptable to their tribe for social reasons. And they are all about social. Younger evangelicals are “turned off,” by the style of Tea Partiers – Cizik gets that right – but it is not about civility but the uncoolness with which criticism is delivered. Cizik does not perceive this because he remains locked in the same adolescent prison.

down with dems commented:

Obama Supports DNA Sampling Upon Arrest

The nation’s chief executive extols the virtues of mandatory DNA testing of Americans upon arrest, ***even absent charges or a conviction.*** Obama said, “It’s the right thing to do” to “tighten the grip around folks” who commit crime.

Militant Conservative commented:

down with dems
March 12th, 2010 | 10:23 am | #17

It’s all about creating massive databases to watch and control the public. States are already putting chips in your drivers license. (disable with hammer or microwave oven) Orwells 1984 is here and the technology and the socialist leader too boot. Google your own name and see how much is out there on YOU.